New
Brunswick
Newfoundland
and Labrador
The Atlantic Canada
Framework for
Essential Graduation
Learnings in Schools
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward
Island
ATLANTIC
PROVINCES
EDUCATION
FOUNDATION
Contents
Purpose of Document ........................ 2
Mission Statements ............................. 3
The Call for Change ............................ 4
The Atlantic Canada
Framework for
Essential Graduation Learnings ....... 6
Relationship Between
Essential Graduation Learnings
and Curriculum Outcomes.............. 12
Implications for
Student Assessment .......................... 18
Questions & Answers ....................... 21
1
Purpose
T
his document provides information on the
issues and implications of implementing a
common core curriculum in Atlantic Canada.
It provides a rationale for the outcomes framework that is being used to anchor curriculum
development. The framework provides a clear
statement of what is expected of students at
graduation and at key stages of their education.
It outlines the rationale and process for the development of an Atlantic common core curriculum. Regional curriculum development is a
collaborative process designed with key consensus points to ensure decisions are made
only with the agreement of each province. The
process is flexible and accommodates differences in program offerings in each of the provinces.
It explains some implications for student assessment. The development of student
achievement standards is directly linked to the
development of the common core curriculum.
The relationship between student achievement
standards and outcomes is explored.
A French version is also available from the
Atlantic departments of education.
2
Mission Statements
ATLANTIC DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION
The mission of
public education is:
New Brunswick
…to have each student develop the attributes
needed to be a lifelong learner, to achieve personal fulfillment and to contribute to a productive, just and democratic society.
Newfoundland & Labrador
…to enable and encourage every individual to
acquire, through lifelong learning, the knowledge, skills and values necessary for personal
growth and the development of society.
Nova Scotia
…to provide all students with a broad-based,
high-quality education. This education will
help students to develop the knowledge, abilities, attitudes and skills that they need to become responsible and caring educated persons
who are competent, confident, lifelong thinkers and learners, and valued, contributing
members of society.
Prince Edward Island
…to provide for the development of children
so that each may take a meaningful place in
society.
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The Call for Change
T
he information explosion, technological
developments, new research on learning
styles, the recognition of the need for lifelong
learners, changes in the patterns and character of the school population, increased emphasis on accountability, and globalization are
some of the dramatic societal changes that
point to the need to rethink the education our
children receive.
The Atlantic provinces’ departments of education agree that the challenges facing their
public school systems are strikingly similar.
They agree that students’ needs can be well
met if there are clearly articulated statements
of what students are expected to know and be
able to do by the time they graduate from high
school, if the curriculum reflects these expectations, and if the provinces can accurately assess students’ achievement of them.
Recognition of these similarities, based in part
on the results of reports or royal commissions
in each of the Atlantic provinces, led to the recommendation in 1993 by the ministers of edu
The Maritime Provinces Education Foundation (MPEF) was established in
1982 for the purpose of enhancing regional content in school materials
and to provide a structure for inter-provincial cooperation. Over the years,
that cooperation has allowed the Maritime (or Atlantic) provinces to develop, purchase or participate in a wide variety of activities that an individual province could not afford or support on its own.
In September 1995, Newfoundland and Labrador became full partners in
the Foundation, thus inaugurating the new Atlantic Provinces Education
Foundation (APEF).
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cation to develop a common core curriculum
and common assessment strategies for Atlantic Canada. This was endorsed by the premiers
in April 1994. The common core curriculum
was conceived as a way to improve the quality, relevance and effectiveness of curriculum
in each province by combining expertise and
input.
Students require a balanced curriculum. Public school curriculum in Atlantic Canada will
consist of two components (1) the common
core curriculum which is developed regionally,
and (2) the remainder which continues to be
developed provincially. The common core curriculum for the Atlantic region includes programs in mathematics, science and language
arts, grades 1-12.
The process for developing a common core
curriculum for Atlantic Canada has involved
regional consultation with the public and with
education professionals. This process for developing common core curriculum recognizes
the distinct needs of each linguistic community.
The common core curriculum will be designed
for all students; that is, programs will attempt
to reflect the abilities, needs, interests and
learning styles of students of both genders, and
of ethnocultural groups. Students will be challenged to obtain the expected outcomes.
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The Atlantic Canada
Framework for
ESSENTIAL GRADUATION LEARNINGS
E
ssential Graduation Learnings provide a
consistent vision for the development of a
coherent and relevant core curriculum. The Essential Graduation Learnings statements offer
students clear goals and a powerful rationale
for school work. They help ensure that provincial education systems’ missions are met by design and intention. The Essential Graduation
Learnings statements are supported by curriculum outcomes. Both are described below.
Essential Graduation Learnings are statements
describing the knowledge, skills and attitudes
expected of all students who graduate high
school. Achievement of the Essential Graduation Learnings will prepare students to continue to learn throughout their lives. These
Learnings describe expectations not in terms
of individual school subjects but in terms of
knowledge, skills and attitudes developed
throughout the curriculum. They confirm that
students need to make connections and develop abilities across subject boundaries if they
are to be ready to meet the shifting and ongoing demands of life, work and study today and
The articulation of Essential Graduation Learnings is part of the provinces’
response toward clarifying the expectations of education systems.
Essential Graduation Learnings provide an anchor for curriculum.
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in the future. Essential Graduation Learnings
serve as a framework for the curriculum development process.
Curriculum outcomes statements articulate
what students are expected to know and be
able to do in particular subject areas. These
outcomes statements also describe the expectations at a particular grade level. Through the
achievement of curriculum outcomes, students
demonstrate the Essential Graduation
Learnings.
In 1994, the Atlantic provinces invited the public to contribute, through various provincial
consultative processes, to the selection of the
abilities and areas of knowledge that they considered essential for students graduating from
high school. Following consultation, Essential
Graduation Learnings were identified for all
students in the Atlantic provinces. It is recognized that provinces may add additional Essential Graduation Learnings as appropriate.
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Essential Graduation Learnings
DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ATTITUDES
IN THE FOLLOWING LEARNINGS:
c
Aesthetic Expression
Graduates will be able to respond with critical
awareness to various forms of the arts and be able
to express themselves through the arts.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• use various art forms as a means of
formulating and expressing ideas, perceptions and feelings;
• demonstrate understanding of the contribution of the arts to daily life, cultural
identity and diversity, and the economy;
• demonstrate understanding of the ideas,
perceptions and feelings of others as
expressed in various art forms;
• demonstrate understanding of the significance of cultural resources such as theatres, museums and galleries.
c
Citizenship
Graduates will be able to assess social, cultural,
economic and environmental interdependence in a
local and global context.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• demonstrate understanding of sustainable
development and its implications for the
environment;
• demonstrate understanding of Canada’s
political, social and economic systems in a
global context;
• explain the significance of the global
economy on economic renewal and the
development of society;
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• demonstrate understanding of the social,
political and economic forces that have
shaped the past and present, and apply
those understandings in planning for the
future;
• examine human rights issues and recognize forms of discrimination;
• determine the principles and actions of
just, pluralistic and democratic societies;
• demonstrate understanding of their own
and others’ cultural heritage, cultural
identity and the contribution of
multiculturalism to society.
c
Communication
Graduates will be able to use the listening, viewing, speaking, reading and writing modes of
language(s), and mathematical and scientific concepts and symbols, to think, learn and communicate effectively.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• explore, reflect on, and express their own
ideas, learnings, perceptions and feelings;
• demonstrate understanding of facts and
relationships presented through words,
numbers, symbols, graphs and charts;
• present information and instructions
clearly, logically, concisely and accurately
for a variety of audiences;
• demonstrate a knowledge of the second
official language;
• access, process, evaluate and share information;
• interpret, evaluate and express data in
everyday language;
• critically reflect on and interpret ideas
presented through a variety of media.
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c
Personal Development
Graduates will be able to continue to learn and to
pursue an active, healthy lifestyle.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• demonstrate preparedness for the transition to work and further learning;
• make appropriate decisions and take
responsibility for those decisions;
• work and study purposefully both independently and in groups;
• demonstrate understanding of the relationship between health and lifestyle;
• discriminate among a wide variety of
career opportunities;
• demonstrate coping, management and
interpersonal skills;
• demonstrate intellectual curiosity, an
entrepreneurial spirit and initiative;
• reflect critically on ethical issues.
c
Problem Solving
Graduates will be able to use the strategies and processes needed to solve a wide variety of problems, including those requiring language, and mathematical and scientific concepts.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• acquire, process and interpret information
critically to make informed decisions;
• use a variety of strategies and perspectives
with flexibility and creativity for solving
problems;
• formulate tentative ideas, and question
their own assumptions and those of others;
• solve problems individually and collaboratively;
• identify, describe, formulate and reformulate problems;
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• frame and test hypotheses;
• ask questions, observe relationships, make
inferences and draw conclusions;
• identify, describe and interpret different
points of view and distinguish fact from
opinion.
c
Technological Competence
Graduates will be able to use a variety of technologies, demonstrate an understanding of technological applications, and apply appropriate technologies for solving problems.
Graduates will be able, for example, to:
• locate, evaluate, adapt, create and share
information using a variety of sources and
technologies;
• demonstrate understanding of and use
existing and developing technologies;
• demonstrate understanding of the impact
of technology on society;
• demonstrate understanding of ethical
issues related to the use of technology in a
local and global context.
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Relationship
Between
ESSENTIAL GRADUATION LEARNINGS AND
CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
E
ssential Graduation Learnings describe
what students need to know and be able
to do in order to meet the changing demands
of the next century. They describe student
learning in terms of the knowledge, skills and
attitudes developed throughout the curriculum. They are cross-curricular, and curriculum
in all subject areas is focused to enable students
to achieve these Learnings.
Relationship between Essential graduation Learnings,
Curriculum Outcomes & Provincial/Atlantic Curriculum
Atlantic
Canada
Common
Curriculum
Outcomes
12
Provincial
Curriculm
Outcomes
P.E.I. Curriculum
N.S. Curriculum
Levels of Schooling
Nfld. & Lab. Curriculum
N.B. Curriculum
Science
Mathematics
English Language Arts
Aesthetic Expression
Citizenship
Communication
Personal Development
Problem Solving
Technological Competence
G G G
Gr Gra Gra Gra Gra Gra Gra Grad Grad rade rade rade
ad de de de de de de e e 1 11 1
2
e1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Essential Graduation Learnings
A Curriculum Designed within an
Outcomes Framework
Essential Graduation Learnings provide the
framework for the development of curriculum
outcomes. Curriculum outcomes respect the
content and structures of individual subject
areas. They are also aligned to the Essential
Graduation Learnings. Each Essential Graduation Learning will influence each subject area
to a different degree.
The ability of students to write, talk and read
effectively is generally considered one of the
most important foundations of education.
When articulated as an Essential Graduation
Learning, Communication acts as a focus for
the structure of all curriculum areas, thus causing students to be provided expanded opportunities to develop the important skills, knowledge and attitudes related to communication.
The Essential Graduation Learnings also make
the statement that helping students think, learn
and communicate effectively using language(s)
is the responsibility of all teachers, not just of
the language arts teacher.
In mathematics, for instance, students will be
required to use language for learning and communicating. The draft Atlantic mathematics
program has an outcome that students “will
be able to read, write and discuss mathematics in order to clarify, refine and consolidate
their thinking and understanding.” In the new
physics program, outcomes related to communication will require students to write about
physics concepts and their application in a
variety of forms and for a variety of audiences.
The following example illustrates how curriculum outcomes contribute to the development
of this Essential Graduation Learning.
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Essential Graduation Learning
Atlantic Canada Common
Curriculum Outcomes
Mathematics
Students will demonstrate understanding that graphs are one
method of representing a quantitative relationship and realize
that a relationship may also be
shown with a verbal description,
a formula, a table of values and/
or a set of ordered pairs.
English Language Arts
Students will speak and listen to
explore, extend, clarify, and reflect
on their thoughts, ideas, feelings
and experiences.
Communication
Graduates will be able to use the
listening, viewing, speaking, reading
and writing modes of language(s),
and mathematical and scientific
concepts and symbols, to think,
learn and communicate effectively.
Science
Students will communicate an
understanding of the major concepts and principles of science
and technology.
Provincial Curriculum
Outcomes
Social Studies
Students will be able to organize
information garnered from various sources, including maps,
charts, graphs, globes, print and
media texts, and the arts.
Music
Students will demonstrate understanding of the use of language
as lyrics for songwriting.
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The Atlantic Common Curriculum
Development Process
The process for developing common curriculum is based on consensus among the provinces. The process clearly indicates decision
points which require consensus by a regional
development committee.
Each province has in place procedures and
mechanisms for communicating and consulting with its education partners and is responsible for the coordination of this input. Time is
allocated at each stage of curriculum development to allow for the collection and organization of these results.
The key features of the common curriculum
development process are:
• interprovincial project committees composed of provincial representatives
(consultants and teachers) who provide
input, reaction and approval;
• a lead province for each project responsible for drafting and revising specified
curriculum elements in accordance with
the direction and decisions of the project
committee;
• continued provincial responsibility for
coordinating the implementation of the
new curriculum, including the pilot/field
test phases, inservicing and ongoing
support;
• ongoing communication and consultation
with appropriate stakeholders according
to provincial practices.
Development of the Atlantic Common Core
Curriculum for math, science and language
arts follows a consistent format. Teachers in
each of these subject areas will receive a Foundation document and a series of support docu
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ments, or guides, for different levels of schooling. The Foundation document contains the Essential Graduation Learnings, curriculum outcomes for that subject area and the corresponding outcomes at key stages (grades 3, 6, 9 and
12). The support documents or guides contain
details for teachers at the different levels of
schooling. Program design at each of these levels will be anchored in the Essential Graduation Learnings and curriculum outcomes. Curriculum outcomes statements will reflect the
characteristics of the learner as well as the nature of the subject area. These statements are
designed to ensure a smooth transition for students between grades.
The following example illustrates the relationship between an Atlantic Canada Essential
Graduation Learning and curriculum outcomes at different levels of schooling.
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Essential Graduation
Learnings: An example
English Language Arts Curriculum
Outcome
Students will use language to enhance the precision and clarity of their own and others’ writing.
by the end of grade 12:
Students will, independently and collaboratively, revise selected texts of their own and
others for cohesion and clarity, demonstrating
control of a range of appropriate stylistic features.
by the end of grade 9:
Students will, independently and collaboratively, use a range of strategies and techniques
to revise selected drafts for cohesion, clarity
and impact.
by the end of grade 6:
Students will, independently and collaboratively, use a range of strategies and techniques
to extend and clarify selected drafts.
by the end of grade 3:
Students will, independently and collaboratively, make revisions to selected drafts for
meaning and clarity of expression.
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Implications for
Student Assessment
I
n practice, the achievement of the Essential
Graduation Learnings will be assessed indirectly, through the assessment of the curriculum outcomes developed for individual
courses.
Achievement Standards
Curriculum outcomes statements make clear
the achievements students are expected to
demonstrate at key stages in their schooling;
they do not, however, describe the range of
levels of these achievements. For teachers, students and parents to assess the level at which
work is done, either during the course of a year
or at the end of a year, or both, standards are
needed.
In Atlantic Canada, the term “standards” is
used to describe different levels of student
achievement. Standards help teachers assess
The Atlantic provinces are collaborating on the development of provincial
assessments and/or examinations for grades 3, 6, 9 and 12. These assessments may or may not be used by individual provinces, depending
on their own assessment policies.
The policies and processes for both the Atlantic common curriculum and
regional assessment initiatives are detailed in the Common Curriculum
and Assessment Workplans, available from the departments of education
or the APEF office:
Box 2044, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2Z1
phone: (902) 424-5352
fax: (902) 424-8976
e-mail: premiers@fox.nstn.ns.ca
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an individual student’s achievement of curriculum outcomes. This does not imply that
all assessment performed in the classroom
must make direct reference to a standard or
that teachers will use only one form of assessment.
Key Features
Student work is assessed on whether it meets
pre-stated criteria rather than on the basis of
rank or relative standing.
The criteria for determining the different levels of achievement reflect the experiences of
practising teachers and curriculum/evaluation
specialists, ensuring i) a close relationship between what is taught and what is assessed, and
ii) a direct link to the curriculum development
process.
Developing Standards
Many jurisdictions in Canada have begun to
identify student achievement standards. For
curriculum outcomes, a range of levels of
achievement is agreed on (between three and
six levels is usual); verbal descriptions of these
levels are produced; and samples of student
work are selected to illustrate these levels.
Working together and using a range of student
work for reference, teachers and curriculum/
evaluation specialists agree on descriptions of
the characteristics of each of the levels and provide examples of actual work done at each
level, called “anchor” pieces.
The development of achievement standards
will be coordinated by regional committees
comprising teachers and other curriculum and
assessment specialists from each province. The
use of student achievement standards will be
determined in each province according to cur
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rent department and board policies and classroom practices.
Classroom Assessment Strategies
For assessment within the classroom, teachers
play a central and crucial role in designing,
observing and interpreting the work of their
students. For all subject areas, the range of assessment strategies should include portfolios,
performances, essays and projects, as well as
the more traditional multiple-choice and shortanswer questions. A judicious combination of
these types of questions, combined with careful review to ensure the instruments are free
of racial, ethnic, cultural, gender and socio-economic bias will give students fair and equitable opportunities to demonstrate what they
know and are able to do.
The common core curriculum guides being
developed include suggestions for classroom
assessment strategies.
The diversity of the student population and
the inclusive nature of schooling require a variety of tools and methods to be used in the
assessment of curriculum outcomes. Such help
as large print or braille, flexible timing, tape
recorders or scribes, for example, will allow
students the same assistance they have in the
classroom.
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Questions & Answers
ON ISSUES AND IMPLEMENTATION
How were the Essential Graduation
Learnings developed?
Draft Essential Graduation Learnings were derived from the mission statements published
by each department of education in the Atlantic provinces. Proposed statements were developed by an APEF committee. Education
stakeholders across the Atlantic provinces
were consulted and the statements were revised based on the comments received during
the consultation.
What mechanism will be used to
ensure the relevancy of the
Essential Graduation Learnings?
Each province will continue to determine the
expectations of its public. These concerns will
be considered when curriculum reviews are
conducted.
How will the common core
curriculum projects relate to the
Essential Graduation Learnings?
Mathematics, language arts and science represent the common core curriculum for the Atlantic provinces. A Foundation document for
each identifies curriculum outcomes and their
relationship to the Essential Graduation
Learnings. It gives direction to curriculum developers working on projects at the four levels
of schooling; entry-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. In this
way, all the common core curriculum projects
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are aligned with the Essential Graduation
Learnings.
How will curriculum in other
subject areas contribute to
Essential Graduation Learnings?
A wide array of curriculum exists in the Atlantic provinces. Each province engages in a
cyclical process of revising its curriculum. Future revisions and the subsequent development of curriculum will have outcomes derived from the Essential Graduation Learnings.
Do all subject areas and courses
contribute to each Essential
Graduation Learning?
The degree of cross-curricular relationship will
vary from one subject area to another. Subject
areas make varying degrees of contributions
to the Essential Graduation Learnings. Nevertheless, all subject areas will have curriculum
outcomes derived from the Essential Graduation Learnings. For example, science and mathematics will include outcomes which contribute to the Essential Graduation Learning concerning Citizenship, and social studies curricula will include outcomes which contribute
to knowledge regarding Problem Solving. A
number of curricular areas including languages, mathematics, music, and the arts will
contribute to the Essential Graduation
Learnings that encompass Communication. All
subjects should contribute to the Essential
Graduation Learnings and be consistent with
them.
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How is student achievement
related to the Essential Graduation
Learnings?
Assessment of student achievement will occur
within each subject area or course. The Essential Graduation Learnings will not be directly
measured. The measurement of curriculum
outcomes will provide a proxy for the achievement of expectations contained in the Essential Graduation Learning and will relate directly to curriculum outcomes.
What impact will the adoption of
Essential Graduation Learnings
have on student assessment
strategies used by teachers?
Teachers will continue to assess the achievement of students within their classrooms by
using a variety of assessments. These strategies will relate to the curriculum outcomes
identified in the particular curriculum. A variety of assessment strategies will be described
in curriculum documents. Practices concerning the reporting of student progress to parents will be a provincial, school board and
school responsibility.
What about students with
exceptionalities?
The Essential Graduation Learnings are for all
students. Students with exceptionalities can
achieve the Essential Graduation Learnings
using a wide variety of strategies and resources, including adaptations to teaching
strategies and/or the development and implementation of individual program plans.
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